Improved Net Metering Legislation on Track in New Hampshire

Thanks to your advocacy and an amazing outcry of public support for rooftop solar and net metering, an improved version of House Bill 1116 passed the New Hampshire House Science, Technology, and Energy Committee unanimously, and on March 9 passed the full House. We beat all odds to make this happen, and couldn’t have done it without your support for sound solar policies. The bill now goes back to the Senate for reconciliation.

A key improvement to the bill is that the temporary net metering cap has been doubled. Because of a backlog of projects, this was essential to allow net metering to continue in the short-term. However, a decision on the future compensation of rooftop solar will still be left to the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC). And the bill doesn’t require the Commission to conduct a study of solar’s value, which would provide accurate information about the benefits solar offers the grid.

It will be critical to keep up public support for net metering over the next year as the Public Utilities Commission considers how to compensate solar and other distributed clean energy. If the utilities get their way, these clean and home-grown energy sources could be shortchanged forever in New Hampshire. The PUC and our elected representatives need to know that Granite Staters continue to stand firmly behind solar.